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2010 ZX-6R Supersport Legal Engine Rebuild (Race)

4K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  PinoyRider88 
#1 ·
Heyo! Raced a great and full season in 2018 and my 2010 ZX6R has served me exceedingly well! It has approximately 16k miles on the clock and with the off-season here the the inability to road race here in the Pacific Northwest, the blues are setting in!

However, this does mean I have some time to take care of all those garage maintenance tasks... And this year, with the help of my dad, we're going to be tackling rebuilding the engine ourselves. I'm in the research stage right now and trying to figure out all we need to know before we take on the task.

We are also keeping the engine "Supersport" legal, which pretty much means no modifications from OEM, though we are going to port the heads.

I don't intend to cheap out on anything. My questions are:

  • What do we need to buy to rebuild it? Sounds like a silly question, but is this something where we should buy all specific oem parts from a dealer, or an aftermarket rebuild kit? What are the most reputable brands to buy?
  • Are there any specialized tools needed or anything that especially important to know that the service manual doesn't have laid out?
  • And any other advice!

If people are interested, I'm more than happy to take some photos and lay out the process in a separate thread, though I'm sure there would be a similar thread lurking around here I just haven't ran into yet..

Thanks much for supporting someone who's a newbie to this subject! The most difficult part is figuring out the right questions to ask!
 

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#3 · (Edited)
Heyo! Raced a great and full season in 2018 and my 2010 ZX6R has served me exceedingly well! It has approximately 16k miles on the clock and with the off-season here the the inability to road race here in the Pacific Northwest, the blues are setting in!

However, this does mean I have some time to take care of all those garage maintenance tasks... And this year, with the help of my dad, we're going to be tackling rebuilding the engine ourselves. I'm in the research stage right now and trying to figure out all we need to know before we take on the task.

We are also keeping the engine "Supersport" legal, which pretty much means no modifications from OEM, though we are going to port the heads.

I don't intend to cheap out on anything. My questions are:

  • What do we need to buy to rebuild it? Sounds like a silly question, but is this something where we should buy all specific oem parts from a dealer, or an aftermarket rebuild kit? What are the most reputable brands to buy?

    * use only Kawasak OEM parts. You can get them from the dealer or a couple of online parts houses like Partzilla.com
  • Are there any specialized tools needed or anything that especially important to know that the service manual doesn't have laid out?

    * You're going to need a couple of special tools, yes. The "engine" chapter starts with a list of some of the special tools needed. Check that part out and get what you don't have before starting. You'll need the correct tool/socket (special spanner) for removing the clutch, a clutch holder tool. For the most part though the entire engine can come apart with your basic tools. Make sure you have 6 and 12 point sockets. 12-points are on the head and cylinders if I'm not mistaken. The service manual for this bike is very step by sep and covers everything. Don't move onto the next step until you're sure you've gotten everything completed in the step before.
  • And any other advice!

    * If you've never done a job like this I have a few recommendations on organization. 3 small bins for nuts and bolts. 1 bin = all chassis bolts/engine mounting bolts. 2 bin = all accessory bolts and engine covers (external motor parts, etc). 3 bin = ONLY Engine bolts. Get yourself a lot of ziplock baggies and label EVERYTHING. inspect EVERY part. If it isn't perfect/in spec... replace with new. Get some larger bins for bigger engine parts (head, cylnders, etc.) ORGANIZATION!!

    You're going to want to order all new seals and gaskets for the entire engine. Side covers, cylinder and base gaskets, valve cover gaskets... all of it. Seals especially get overlooked much of the time. If replacing bearings or rods..... all new bolts for rod caps, circlips on piston pins, any major engine bolts or studs should be replaced (not always necessary but a good idea... because race bike). That's just a few things off the top of my head while I'm sipping my coffee...

If people are interested, I'm more than happy to take some photos and lay out the process in a separate thread, though I'm sure there would be a similar thread lurking around here I just haven't ran into yet..

Thanks much for supporting someone who's a newbie to this subject! The most difficult part is figuring out the right questions to ask!
:bigthumb:


If you're organized and have everything ready to go you can have the engine completely apart in a matter of a couple of hours. But be very critical of labeling things and again.... be organized.
 
#4 ·
cleanliness is the key!

i wouldnt buy ALL tools in advance - a wee bit research and you will get tips on how to get round them.....e.g. if you need to change your clutch, then bolting 2plates together and a penny in the ring gear allows the basket to come off.

before you start though - have you done a compression test?

valves/buckets need to go back in same slot they came from.

I would always use oem seals/gaskets/shells/rings - pattern roller bearings are fine.

just keep this thread going - someone will help ya!
 
#5 ·
Thanks to everyone. This already helps me. I didn't think about doing a compression test on it first. Bins and baggies for parts is a great idea too. The first step for me was getting the garage all nice and clean and ready to go.
We're going to build a roll around table out of basically 2x4's, plywood, and toss some wheels on it as a work station for the big parts.

I actually have TWO ZX6R's - a 2009 and a 2010. My 2010 is the white bike, and was my "A" bike - the 2009 is the green, and was a fairly fresh Zlock Racing supersport built engine, but after I bought it we unfortunately noticed one of the sparkplugs was seized and stripped the head, so we're going to be helicoiling it.

ANYWAYS, One other question!:
So, OEM parts, for sure. Fortunately, I'm sponsored by Power Motorsports so I know I can get the best deal possible on kawasaki parts. My question is, is this something I have to go to them and ask for each part individually, or is there a "kit"?

Looking forward to continuing to share this project with y'all as it progresses
 

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#6 ·
Me personally I love kawasakipartswarehouse.com

It has schematics of everything assembled and part numbers
 
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#8 ·
When you pull the engine apart make sure you keep all the connecting rod bearings and main journal bearings in the same spot so you can inspect the colors on them. The bearings are color coded and will help when you order the right bearings. After you find the right bearings in the service manual and replace them , you need to plasti-gauge to make sure the clearances are correct.
 
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